[4:00 PM] Senators @ Ducks

Who will WIN this matchup?

Ottawa Senators (16-10-2)

@ Anaheim Ducks (14-9-5)

 

Starting Goalies:

Mike Condon (OTT): Unconfirmed

John Gibson (ANA): Unconfirmed

 

• The Anaheim Ducks’ season resembles a rollercoaster ride at nearby Disneyland of late – win two, lose three, win three, lose two and win two, but it all adds up to a 7-3-2 stretch as they host the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. More importantly, Anaheim stabilized a defense that allowed 13 goals in its previous two games in a 3-2 victory over San Jose on Friday while grabbing two key points from a Pacific rival in a division that is suddenly crowded at the top.

• Ottawa fell to Los Angeles 4-1 on Saturday, losing for only the second time in its last seven road games and dropping to 6-2 versus the Pacific. The Senators, who lost four of their last six overall, fare well in the second contest of back-to-back games – winning all three this season – and the 30-mile bus ride from Los Angeles to Anaheim won’t add to their fatigue.

• Erik Karlsson (team highs of 27 points and 20 assists) played 24 minutes, 45 seconds Saturday after entering the game third in the NHL in time on ice at 27:14 per game. Defenseman Marc Methot (lower-body) returned after missing the last four games and logged 21:03 of ice time. Zach Smith snapped a 13-game scoring drought and has two points in his last two games after recording three in each of the first two months this season.

• Ryan Kesler continues to play like a Hart Trophy candidate with team bests of 12 goals and 24 points, and the perennial Selke Award contender leads the NHL in faceoffs won with 377. Corey Perry (23 points) has a four-game point streak (goal, four assists) which includes his fifth tally of the season after the owner of 335 career goals went 18 games without one. Captain Ryan Getzlaf is among the league leaders in assists with 20, but didn’t record one in the last two games after picking up four in the previous three contests, and his two goals indicate he may not reach double figures for the first time in his career.

• Anaheim swept the two-game season series in 2015-16 and won six of the last eight meetings.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Anaheim Ducks

Confidence: 6/10

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